This invention relates generally to a modular air filtering apparatus, and more particularly, to stand alone air filtering apparatus for use in restaurants, banquet halls, meeting rooms, offices and the like that pick up, filter and exhaust air at remote locations across the false ceiling in a room.
Heretofore, several methods have been used to filter the air in meeting rooms, banquet halls, restaurants, offices and the like. One comprehensive apparatus for cleaning the air is to install filters, electrostatic precipitators, or the like in line in the duct work of an existing, heating, ventilating and air conditioning system shortly after the air leaves the furnace portion of the system. While this filtering apparatus treats all of the air going through the entire HVAC system, if a whole room in one building like a restaurant, only needs a portion of the total serviced by the heating, ventilating and air conditioning system, treated by filtration, that apparatus may be an expensive over-kill.
Another apparatus for filtering air in a room is a self-contained air filtering apparatus such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,348. This patent discloses a filter, blower and air inlet and outlet all in one rectangular package suitable for positioning in a false ceiling in a room. Such an apparatus may prove to be inefficient in cleaning air at locations remote from the apparatus. In order to somewhat correct that problem, multiple self-contained units may have to be used in a single room, thereby driving up the cost and the expense of running and maintaining multiple units. Other apparatus, such as found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,578, may be utilized in clean rooms or the like. Other filtering apparatus may have a xe2x80x9croomxe2x80x9d that is made smaller and positioned within the ventilating apparatus such as shown in U.S. Pat. 4,108,051. This type of mechanism is inconvenient for use in large meeting rooms, restaurants, offices and the like. Another apparatus similarly used in a controlled material handling space is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,768. This system has the same limitations with respect to transferring the use of a controlled space to the use of a room utilized such as a restaurant, banquet hall or the like. Another U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,824 discloses an air purification system suitable for use in a room. However, that system has ductwork not only in the ceiling of the room but outside the walls of the room, and would need to be implemented during the actual construction of the building or room. Such a system would be too expensive and require too much modification to be retrofitted into a room that already exists.
A need has developed for an improved modular air filtration system that may be expanded or contracted physically to be mounted on or above the false ceiling of a restaurant, banquet room, meeting room, office or the like to provide for filtration of the air in a room, or a specific portion of a room.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention, generally stated, to provide a new and improved air filtration apparatus for use in restaurants, banquet halls, meeting rooms, offices and the like. It is a further object of the invention to provide a modular air filtration apparatus that exists separately from any heating and ventilating and air conditioning system therein and that may be mounted on or above the false ceiling of a room.